AUGUSTA, Maine — The search committee charged with finding the next president of the University of Maine at Augusta named three finalists for the job on Wednesday.
The finalists, who will be visiting the UMA campuses in Augusta and Bangor in the coming weeks, are James Conneely, a former president of Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore; Guiyou Huang, current senior vice president for academic affairs and faculty dean at Norwich University in Vermont; and Lawrence Gould, a political science professor at Fort Hays State University in Kansas.
Conneely currently works as a senior consultant with Keeling and Associates. He served as president at Notre Dame of Maryland, a small liberal arts Catholic university, from 2012 to 2013. He was the first male to hold that post in 116 years. In his application for the UMA job, he cites improved retention and graduation rates and an increase in out-of-state enrollment during his tenure at NDMU.
He stepped down from that role after a year, citing a desire to move back to Kentucky to be closer to his family, according to reports in Baltimore media. Prior to NDMU, Conneely served as associate provost and vice president for student affairs at Eastern Kentucky University from 2003 to 2012. For a decade prior to that, he worked in leadership positions at the University of Arkansas.
Huang has been with Norwich University since 2010. Prior to that, he worked as dean of undergraduate studies at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida, where he also served as dean of the Biscayne College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
In his resume, he cites experience crafting strategic plans, fundraising, increasing graduation rates and enhancing the brands of universities. He also outlines his experience with international outreach, bringing foreign students to the U.S. Prior to attending college in Texas, Huang earned two higher education degrees in English while in China.
He was one of four finalists for the presidency at Eastern Illinois University earlier this year.
Gould, prior to taking a FHSU professorship, served as provost and chief academic officer, interim dean of the business college, dean of the college of liberal arts and sciences and executive assistant to the president at the university.
His career with FHSU stretches back to 1981, when he joined the faculty. He taught for a decade before being promoted to dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1991 and working his way through other leadership roles.
Each candidate holds a doctorate degree. Conneely’s is in education administration from Georgia State University, Huang’s is in English from Texas A&M University, and Gould’s is in political science from Purdue University.
More than 70 people applied for the UMA job. University of Maine System spokesman Dan Demeritt said Wednesday that’s one of the largest applicant pools for a leadership position the system has seen in the past decade.
“We expected the opportunity to lead a university that is earning national attention for its innovative and energetic approach to transforming the lives of students of every age and background across Maine to produce a large and talented pool of candidates,” said Marjorie Medd, UMS trustee and chairwoman of the search committee. “We were not disappointed and very much appreciate the interest of all the applicants who asked to be considered.”
Rebecca Wyke, the system’s treasurer and vice chancellor of finance and administration, has been filling the interim role as UMA president since former UMA president Glenn Cummings left to take over the presidency at the University of Southern Maine. After the new UMA president starts early next year, Wyke is expected to return to her system post.
Huang will visit the UMA campuses Sept. 28-29, Conneely Oct. 5-6, and Gould Oct. 8-9.
After those visits, the search committee will meet to review campus community comments and forward its findings to Chancellor James Page, who will recommend the hire. The University of Maine System board of trustees expects to consider that recommendation during its meeting in November.
More information about the candidates, including application materials and resumes, is available at www.uma.edu/about/offices/office-of-the-president/presidential-search/presidential-finalists/.
The itinerary for candidate campus visits will be posted at the website as well.
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